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Ten Healing Foods:
To Buy Organic
Adapted from The
Staying Healthy Shopper's Guide: Feed Your Family Safely
by Elson Haas,
M.D.
There are some key
aspects of foods' nutrition and healthfulness to consider when choosing healing
foods – we want ones that are high in supportive nutrients and that are clear
of toxic chemicals. Consuming foods as they are grown from Nature is where to
begin – fresh fruits, wholesome vegetables, hearty whole grains, lively
legumes, nutritious nuts and seeds, some calming low-fat dairy, and non-toxic
animal proteins, from eggs to flesh if these are desired and feel right for you.
Then, make sure the main foods you eat are not filled with additives or exposed
to pesticides and other chemical sprays, or contaminated in other ways, such as
from the water, soil, or industrial treatments.
The key foods to buy
organically grown and/or manufactured from organic ingredients are:
Those that are
commonly heavily treated, such as strawberries and animals;
Those where you
consume the parts that are sprayed, as in leafy greens or broccoli;
Those that you
consume frequently, whereby you'll get higher accumulated exposure over
time, as in apples or bananas.
Ideally, our entire
diet could be made up of wholesome, healthy organic and clean foods.
My list for Ten
Healing Foods To Buy Organically Grown includes:
Strawberries
Strawberries are red and energizing, rich in vitamin C and carotenoids
(beta-carotene and others). But this fruit is the most heavily contaminated
produce food in the U.S., according to data from a number of environmental
groups, including a 1993 study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG of
Washington, DC) and an analysis by the Pesticide Action Network of North America
(PANNA). Strawberries in California are treated with more than 300 pounds of
pesticides an acre, and some areas of the country use up to 500 pounds per acre.
As a comparison, conventional farming currently uses about 25 pounds of
pesticides an acre on the average crop. Also, some growers may be spraying the
harvested strawberries for shipping. This adds to the amount of chemical
concentration in the fruit. Strawberries were also found to have the highest
level of hormone-affecting pesticides, including benomyl, vinclozolin, and
endosulfan. Methyl bromide is another common toxic spray used on strawberries.
Note that out-of-season strawberries may be even more heavily treated because
they come from other countries and are sprayed before shipping.
Leafy Greens, such
as Lettuces, Spinach, Kale, and Chard
These foods are considered vital and nutritious. They contain folic acid as well
as calcium, iron and other minerals. However, sprayed chemicals tend to remain
on the leaves of these vegetables, which is potentially more harmful since we
eat those leafy parts. In FDA studies, spinach was the most frequently found
leafy green to contain the more potent pesticides, especially the
organophosphates (neurotoxins) and permethrin (noted as mildly carcinogenic).
Grapes
All grapes contain cleansing fibers, B-vitamins and vitamin C, plus some
minerals from the soil. Red grapes contain many phytonutrients, including the
healthy proanthocyanadins, which appear heart protective. Unless they are
organically grown, however, grapes may receive multiple applications of a
variety of chemical agents during their growing period. Many fruits, including
grapes, ripen quickly and attract insects and molds. Thus, they tend to be more
heavily treated in order to get them to the market (and to protect the financial
interest of the grower). FDA research indicates that imported grapes are even
more heavily treated than the U.S. samples. During winter and early spring,
almost all grapes available in the U.S. are from Chile, and these are found to
have an exceptionally high percentage of pesticide residues (79%). They also
have a higher percent of the carcinogenic pesticides, captan and iprodione.
However, U.S. grape growers use high amounts of sulfites and the fumigant,
methyl bromide, so these are all good reasons to buy organic grapes and grape
juices.
Rice
This is the most frequently consumed food on the planet. And this high-fiber,
low-fat staple has many B-vitamins and minerals, including the important
anti-oxidant, anti-cancer mineral, selenium. You should seriously consider
buying organically grown rice and rice products, especially if it is one of your
staple foods. The dangerous herbicide 2,4,5-T was sprayed on rice before being
banned in 1984, and many persistent water-soluble herbicides and insecticides
have been found to contaminate the ground water near major rice fields, such as
in California's Sacramento River Valley. I suggest buying organic rice in bulk.
You'll find that this way it's as economical as non-organic pre-packaged rice
and much safer.
Cruciferous
Vegetables (Broccoli,
Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, and Cauliflower)
Because of their healthy anti-cancer phytonutrients, vitamin and mineral
content, high-fiber and low-calories, these are excellent foods to eat
regularly. But since we eat the parts that may have been sprayed with
carcinogenic chemicals, it's best to eat the organically grown versions of these
vegetables.
Apples
A staple in many diets, they contain cleansing fiber, detoxifying pectin, and
many nutrients. However, most apples have been found to be nearly as
contaminated as strawberries. Forty eight different pesticides were detected by
FDA testing in nearly 2500 samples from 1984 to 1991, while 36 different
chemicals were found in their 1992 to 1993 evaluations. Nearly half of these 36
were either neurotoxic or carcinogenic chemicals. In the FDA analyses, apples
and peaches were the two crops with the greatest number of different pesticides
per crop--seven! Fortunately, a shift away from spraying the orchards is
occurring in some areas; about 70% of the apple growers are using organic
practices and integrated pest management. If you buy non-organic apples, be sure
to peel them and discard the skin before you eat them since most of the chemical
residues are on the apple skins. We might want to change our saying to "an
organic apple a day keeps the doctor away."
Almonds and
Sunflowers Seeds
These nutrient-rich life forms of Nature contain most vitamins and minerals as
well as the vital essential fatty acids (EFAs). They also can hold more
pesticides and other chemicals in their oils, since many are attracted to oil
more than water. They are compact essences of nutrition with many B-vitamins,
minerals (even hard-to-find minerals like zinc and selenium), and healthy,
tissue-feeding essential oils. It is wise for humans to consume the freshest
low-salt samples of these "mini-vitamins." Add to this list some
pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pine nuts, and sesame seeds.
Tomatoes & Sweet
Peppers (even
though I wanted to say "Sweet Potatoes")
These "fruits of the vine" are full of healthy nutrients that include
vitamin C, B-vitamins, carotenoids, and other phytonutrients, especially the
prostate-helpful and tissue-supporting lycopenes. Both red and green bell
peppers were found to have many pesticide residues from the most neurotoxic of
the pesticides. In the FDA's measurement of both U.S. and Mexican crops, 64% of
peppers contained at least one pesticide, while 36% contained two or more. These
vegetables also may be waxed which makes it difficult to remove the residues and
other chemicals within the waxes. One study found that as many as 30 different
pesticides are used to spray tomatoes. Because the skins of tomatoes are thin
and absorbent, and since this is a staple in many salads, soups and sauces,
tomatoes are worth buying organically grown. At certain times of year, the price
of organic plum tomatoes is competitive with non-organic varieties. And farmer's
markets may be the best source of all for fresh unsprayed tomatoes, or better
yet, grow your own.
A couple other
classes of fruits and vegetables that are healthy for us are also best looked
for and consumed from organic growing and shipping practices include:
Tropical Fruits
Although wonderfully tasty and high in carotenes and continuing many other
nutrients and enzymes, pineapples, papayas and mangoes are very attractive to
tropical pests and may be more heavily treated during cultivation, storage, and
shipping. Because of their thin skins, they tend to absorb the sprays, creating
higher levels of chemical contamination. We call these systemic pesticides, and
they cannot be washed away such that they get into our systems as well.
Imported Produce
This usually out-of-season produce is often heavily treated for easier growing
and shipping to the United States. There is also risk of higher toxicity from
the use of chemicals that have been banned in the U.S. Cantaloupes and other
imported melons were found to have a high concentration of pesticides in two
thirds of tested samples. In Mexican cantaloupes, 48% had two or more residues.
Shop Locally
Ideally, it is
healthiest to eat foods grown and cultivated near our area and in the season
they are harvested. Seasonal eating is one of the keys to a balanced and
wholesome diet. These foods are the freshest, often the most economical, and
usually less treated, even non-organic, because they don't need to be protected
for shipping long distances. Eating as much as possible from Nature, the bounty
of Mother Earth, is a key message for healthy nutrition.
Other Healing Foods
that may or may not be available organically grown include: oily (omega-3 oils)
fish like Salmon, Olives and Olive Oil, Wild Berries or Blueberries, and Garlic
and Ginger.
Important note about
Milk Products and Eggs; also Wheat and Corn
Because pesticides
are pervasive and stored in higher amounts in the fats of food, dairy products
tend to retain higher levels of residues and chemicals from feeds and other
sources. This is not well researched yet; however, it makes total sense to me,
and therefore my family with growing children is buying organic milk products.
Milk is a common
source of the herbicide atrazine (a known endocrine-disrupter) and the growth
hormone BGH which has been genetically engineered to boost milk production.
Eggs are one of the
more bio-available proteins especially for growing folks, pregnant women, and
those needing a protein source, especially if you digest them well and aren't
allergic to them. They have many nutrients that feed the body tissues, the
sexual glands, sperm and eggs, and hormones. However, eggs are typically
produced in factory farms where the hens often live in crowded, unhygienic
conditions. This may be one of the reasons that salmonella bacteria are found in
eggs so frequently. More than two million eggs each year are contaminated,
resulting in more than a half million cases of food poisoning. Factory farm eggs
also may be lower in nutrients than organic ones, and they don't taste as good
as farm fresh eggs from the free-ranging chickens that are not fed antibiotics.
Our best egg option is organic eggs, which are now becoming more available.
Wheat is another
staple in the American and world diet. It has many vitamins, minerals, and
fiber. However, in a recent review of pesticide residues, 91 percent of the
wheat sampled by the FDA contained pesticide residues! Wheat can be one of the
most heavily treated grains, because it is stockpiled as a basic commodity and
fumigated periodically to keep down pests. When it is milled, the outer
coating--the bran included in whole wheat bread and cereals--is the portion that
receives the most chemical treatment. The bran and germ portion of the wheat
also retains the most residues. It has been suggested that some forms of
so-called wheat allergy, which has been associated with learning problems and
difficulty in concentrating, may actually be a neurotoxic reaction to the
pesticide residues in the grain. These pesticides are by definition neurotoxins
that is how they affect the insects they are intended to destroy.
Corn contains most B
vitamins, especially niacin, and adds helpful fiber to the diet. A primary
staple in the American diet, corn is typically heavily treated. Locally grown
fresh corn tends to be treated less, so sweet corn on the cob is likely safer
than corn byproducts, which may have more contamination. However, corn is still
heavily treated with the herbicide atrazine and it is also typically sprayed
after harvesting.
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